Influx of Volunteers Could Strain Relief Efforts

Takeshi Matsunaga, a Japanese foreign-ministry spokesman, said in an interview that the government is “not encouraging” volunteers to assist in tsunami-affected zones because the situation there remains unstable, with damaged transportation links and major strains on supplies.

Foreign aid often requires extensive logistical support to move equipment and to feed and house volunteers, and having more of them on the ground would put further demands on resources in areas where local authorities are already running low on supplies, he said. “It’s very difficult for the volunteers to go into the disaster areas, so at this point in time we are not encouraging volunteers to go into the area,” he said. “It’s purely because of the reality on the ground — it has nothing to do with unwillingness.”

He said the government does invite international support – it just prefers that it come in the form of donations arranged through its foreign missions overseas. “We highly appreciate all the goodwill,” he said, adding it might be easier to accept more direct volunteerism once the disaster zones stabilize.

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